Ever since the unexpected crossover success of jazz singer Diana
Krall, record labels have been scrambling to find the next breakout
singer for adults. Blue Note's entry in the sweepstakes is
singer/pianist Norah Jones. There has been a big buzz on her and if
she delivers the same kind of hit that Krall has, then Blue Note
surely won't mind that Jones' debut CD,
Come Away With Me, really isn't a jazz CD at all.

Oh sure, there is a definite Billie Holliday influence in Jones'
vocals, and her band does add a little jazz to the mix, but there
is just as much of a pop, folk, and even country influence to be
heard. However, only jazz purists will complain about this. Anyone
else who bought Krall's CD should be delighted by
Come Away With Me.

All but three of the fourteen songs are originals. Most of the
originals were written by either guitarist Jesse Harris or bassist
Lee Alexander from Jones' band. I suspect there may have been a
little "sibling" rivalry involved as both Harris and Alexander have
written some top-notch tunes for this CD. Harris' songs tend to
lean more toward the pop side and Alexander's more toward the folk
side.

The opening cut and the first single, "Don't Know Why" is a
lovely pop ballad that should be playing on adult contemporary
stations if they have any sense. "Shoot The Moon" is another
outstanding song in the same vein with some nice imagery in the
lyrics. "Feelin' The Same Way" is another possible single because
of its hooky chorus.

The rest of the songs range from the straight ahead folk of
"Seven Days" to the lightly bluesy feeling of "Turn Me On"
recalling Bonnie Raitt in a mellow mood, to the straight ahead jazz
of "The Nearness Of You" (with Jones providing a solo performance
of vocals and piano), to the country-western sounds of
"Lonestar".

Despite the presence of a country flavor, ironically one of the
jazzier songs on
Come Away With Me is Jones' rendition of a classic country
standard: Hank Williams' "Cold Cold Heart". It is a very
interesting take on this song and shows off the versatility of
Jones and her band.

Another fascinating piece is "I've Got To See You Again" which
evokes a middle eastern flavor in the rhythm section despite being
played totally on western instruments, much like Duke Ellington's
"Caravan".

Sometimes, a CD where all the songs are ballads can be
monotonous, but this is not true of
Come Away With Me because all the different arrangements
keep things fresh, and it helps that most of the songs are very
strong.
Come Away With Me is an impressive debut from this young
singer. Here's hoping we hear more from her.